The "Grand Experiment" Gone Awry?

"Just get up off the ground, that's all I ask. Get up there with that lady that's up on top of this Capitol dome, that lady that stands for liberty. Take a look at this country through her eyes if you really want to see something. And you won't just see scenery; you'll see the whole parade of what Man's carved out for himself, after centuries of fighting. Fighting for something better than just jungle law, fighting so he can stand on his own two feet, free and decent, like he was created, no matter what his race, color, or creed. That's what you'd see. There's no place out there for graft, or greed, or lies, or compromise with human liberties ... I wouldn't give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn't have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little looking out for the other fella, too."

In these times it seems that we need to treasure what a great, crazy, creative and innovative undertaking the American Experiment is in its essence. And even the greatest ideas can go astray if we are not vigilant in the daily application of the principles we profess to hold dear. We need to remember that with freedom comes responsibility -- and it isn't just some other guy's responsibility. We must be mindful too, that "free market" isn't a "free-for-all", where the greedy grab and the regular guy perishes. Our "noble experiment" for the ages is not meant to be institutionalized Social Darwinism where only the fittest and privileged thrive. "E Plurbus Unum" -- meaning, "Out of many, One", is our national motto. It appears on the the seal of the United States and on the Seal of the President.

Jefferson Smith, of Frank Capra's classic, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", puts it rather eloquently, don't you think? Out of many One -- "we're all in this together". Like every creative endeavor, the American Dream is collaborative --ours together to work for and share ... and it takes "a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little looking out for the other fella, too." Competing makes us better. Cooperation makes us whole.

DJS

Never, Never, Never Give Up

“The maxim ‘Nothing but perfection’ may be spelled ‘Paralysis.’”
-- Winston Churchill

Wait 'til Next Centennial

"A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request"
words & lyrics by Steve Goodman -- Dedicated to Steve Bartman ...

By the shore's of old Lake Michigan
Where the "Hawk Wind" blows so cold
An old Cub fan lay dying
In his midnight hour that tolled
'Round his bed, his friends had all gathered
They knew his time was short

And on his head the put this bright blue cap
From his all-time favorite sport
He told them "its late and its getting dark in here"
And I know its time to go
But before I leave the line-up
There's just one thing I'd like to know

(Chorus, sung)
Do they still play the blues in Chicago
When baseball season rolls around
When the snow melts away,
Do the Cubbies still playIn their ivy covered burial ground?
When I was a boy they were my pride and joy
But now they only bring fatigue
To the home of the brave
The land of the free
And the doormat of the National League

(talking blues) Told his friends ...
"You know the law of averages says: Anything will happen that can."
That's what it says.
"But the year the Cubs last won a national league pennant
Was the year we dropped the bomb on Japan"
The Cubs made me a criminal
Sent me down a wayward path
They stole my youth from me (that's the truth)
I'd forsake my teacher's
To go sit in the bleachers
In flagrant truancy

And then one thing led to another
Soon I'd discovered alcohol, gambling, dope, football, hockey, lacross, tennis
But what do you expect,
When you raise up a young boys hope
And then just crush 'em like so many paper beer cups.

Year after year after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year ....
'Til those hopes are just so much popcorn
For pigeons beneath the "EL" track to eat
He said "You know I'll never see Wrigley Field, anymore before my eternal rest
So if you have your pencils and your score cards ready,
And I'll read you my last request:

Give me a double header funeral in Wrigley Field
On some sunny weekend day (no lights)
Have the organ play the National Anthem
And then a little "na, na, na, hey hey, hey, Goodbye

"Make six bull pen pitchers, carry my coffin
and six ground keepers clear my path
Have the umpires bark me out at every base
In all their holy wrath
Its a beautiful day for a funeral,
Hey Ernie lets play two!
Somebody go get Jack Brickhouse to come back,and conduct just one more interview
Have the Cubbies run right out into the middle of the field,
Have Kieth Moreland drop a routine fly
Give everybody two bags of peanuts and a Frosty Malt
And I'll be ready to die

Build a big fire on home plate out of your 'Louisville Sluggers' baseball bats,
And toss my coffin in
Let my ashes blow in the beautiful snow
From the prevailing 30 mile an hour south west wind
When my last remains go flying over the left field wall
Will bid the bleacher bums adieu
I will come to my final resting place, out on Waveland Avenue

The dying man's friends told him to cut it out
They said stop it that's an awful shame
He whispered, "Don't Cry, we'll meet by and by near the Heavenly Hall of Fame
He said I've got season's tickets to watch the Angels now,
So its just what I'm going to do
He said but you the living, you're stuck here with the Cubs,
So its me that feels sorry for you!

And he said "Ahh Play, play that lonesome losers tune,
The one I like the best"
And he closed his eyes, and slipped away
What we got is the Dying Cub fan's last request

(Chorus, big finish, sung)
Do they still play the blues in Chicago
When baseball season rolls around
When the snow melts away,
Do the Cubbies still play
In their ivy covered burial ground
When I was a boy they were my pride and joy
But now they only bring fatigue
To the home of the brave
The land of the free
And the doormat of the National League

Living the Life Adventure

“I do not accept any absolute formulas for living. No preconceived code can see ahead to everything that can happen in a man’s life. As we live, we grow and our beliefs change. They must change. So I think we should live with this constant discovery. We should be open to this adventure in heightened awareness of living. We should stake our whole existence on our willingness to explore and experience.” -- Martin Buber

Fying High

"Breakthroughs require confidence in nonsense." Burt Rutan

Fear is Step Zero

Most of you know that The Innovise Guys blend structured problem solving with improvisation. Problem solving begins with identifying a problem you want to work on. What are the problems we don't work on? The ones where the fear is too great to even consider more conscious, deliberate, and creative thinking. Embracing your fears is Step Zero in creative problem solving. So, don't deny fear, explore it. Then get creative.

On this anniversary of 9/11 let me say this, let's not fear terrorism so much that we don't get deliberately creative about preventing it, and thwarting it.

FEAR-Fooey

“I will know my fear. I will live my fear. I will experience my fear …
and when it is gone, only I will remain.”

David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine